


Arithmancer

by kiraya831



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arithmancy, Defense Against the Dark Arts, F/M, M/M, Smart Harry Potter, Study of Ancient Runes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-01-03 19:45:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12153546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiraya831/pseuds/kiraya831
Summary: Harry, after much consideration after the Triwizard Tournament, decides that he needs to make a change in order to survive Voldemort.Blaise Zabini, haunted by something in his past and confronted with it again in the present, he is bound and determined to right a wrong, an injustice no one seems to care about.The two, paired together by professors who see great potential beyond the boy's imagination, may bring about change to the wizarding world that changes the tides of the war, and brighten the future of humanity.





	1. The Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> I've been away from writing fanfiction for quite some time, but this idea has been brewing in the back of my mind and it's driving me crazy! I hope you enjoy, there just isn't enough of this pairing out there! I am going to try my best to update about once a month, I don't think I have time for more than that, since I just got a new job! Let me know what you think! I do hope to make future chapters longer, I always seem to make first chapters short for some reason, but this just seemed like the best place to stop.

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

Awakening

 

In his bed in the hospital wing, Harry sighed as he thought back to the crazy events of the school year; the Triwizard Tournament, and, more importantly, the return of Voldemort. He knew, the same way he knew his heart beat, that the insane Dark Lord would never let him live his life in peace, even if Harry did everything he possibly could to avoid any and all future contact between the two. The man, if he could even be called that, may have been after him for all years already, but as a spirit. Now, with a body? Back to full power? The very thought filled him with fear. How could he, a soon-to-be fifteen-year-old half-trained wizard of average ability, survive? You would think being the Boy-Who-Lived would give him powers above his peers, but no, of course not, that would be too easy.

'I have to learn more! I need to be able to defend myself! But where to start? Well, I won the Triwizard Tournament some how...'

As he pondered, he realized that he'd actually learned quite a bit during the tournament. The first task had taught him how to use information to make a plan ahead of time that played to his strengths - to use them to his advantage. And it had worked! He came first, even as the youngest competitor by three years. He'd even been the only one to come out of the task without any injuries, which, for Harry, who might as well have a bed with is name on it in the hospital wing, was quite a feat.

The second task taught him several things. One, not to wait until last minute to come up with a plan! He'd already learned the value of them in the first task, and then he'd gone into the second without one; it all worked out, but that really was a stroke of luck more than anything. Without Dobby he'd have been screwed. Second, to not be afraid to ask for help outside of Ron and Hermione. If he'd just talked to Neville, he'd have known about Gillyweed ahead of time and been able to find a way to get some without resorting to stealing, however indirectly, from Snape. He'd also learned to not take things at face value. After all, he'd assumed that whatever the mermaids took captive, or, in this case, who, would truly be gone forever after an hour had passed. They had enforced an age line on the tournament for a reason, to try and reduce the risk of death, so the event planners wouldn't have turned around and put the lives of four minors not even part of the tournament in any true danger. And Fleur's little sister... she wasn't even old enough to go to school yet! There was no way her parents would ever allow her to be used as a hostage unless they were one hundred percent sure she would be safe.

The third task had enforced preparation even more, he'd done well thanks in part to studying useful spells, charms, defense ahead of time, such as the Point Me spell. He'd also learned that logic could be a huge help. After all, he hadn't had to fight the sphinx because he'd been able to answer her riddle correctly. Also, because of Impostor Moody, Bartemius Crouch, Junior, he'd learned that people, no matter how trustworthy they seem to be (or are trusted by someone you trust), could be hiding sinister plots and plans. His parents had died because of the exact same problem, trusting the wrong person.

Overall, Harry noticed an overlapping theme... being prepared could mean the difference between success and failure, life and death. It was time to stop being lazy, going along with Ron and doing only the minimal amount of work needed to complete his homework and no more. It was time to buckle down and actually do his schoolwork to the best of his ability. It would also help to widen his knowledge and study outside of the coursework. And Divination was worthless... he wondered if he'd be allowed to switch to Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Surely they'd be more useful? He would find a way to access his textbooks during the summer at the Dursley house, he knew he could be cunning when he wanted to be, the Sorting Hat had thought he'd make a good Slytherin for a reason. It was time he used that cunning against his relatives. He'd always hesitated before, too used to not being able to fight back against his uncle and cousin, especially as a child, and one small for his age on top it, thanks to the lack of food. But now, he had something he could use them against them- magic. Sure, he couldn't use it during the summer, and the Dursley's knew it, too, but that law only affected Harry. Sirius, on the other hand... Well, that could work. He could try a few other things as well, and he still had time to come up with a solid plan, he'd have to keep thinking. He knew he'd come up with something, he always did.

"Mr. Potter, how are you doing?" a woman's voice asked him, drawing him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Madame Pomphrey looking down at him, concern glinting in her brown eyes.

He smiled slightly. "I'm doing good, thanks, am I allowed to go yet? I want to talk to Professor McGonagall before the feast," he said.

"I would prefer you to stay, young man, but since the feast is tonight and tomorrow you head home, I suppose I shall have to let you go regardless. Now, be careful, you hear me? You've been through a tough ordeal, and I don't want you to overdo it. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am, thank you, have a good summer." Harry left the hospital wing and headed directly down to the second story of the labyrinth-like castle to Professor MgGonagall's office and knocked on the solid oak wood door.

 

#

"Come in!" the Deputy Headmistress's stern Scottish brogue said from behind the door. She looked up from paperwork, sitting at her desk as he opened the door and walked in, sitting down in a wooden chair in front of her. "Mr. Potter," she said, "what can I do for you?"

Harry sighed. "With everything that's happened this year... I want to change, I want to actually try to good on my schoolwork, I think I have to if I want to survive. Would it be possible to drop Divination and add Ancient Runes and Arithmancy?"Â  he asked.

Professor McGonagall smiled. "Well, I'm glad to hear it, Mr. Potter, I would have dropped the class last year. Now, you won't be able to join your year mates, you are two years behind so you will likely have to join the third years, unless you do some serious studying this summer. Your actual professors will make any final decisions, but in the past, we've given placement tests to students who have switched electives at every term to see if they've been able to advance their studies enough to be moved up to the next level, but it will take a lot of work. We can definitely get you taking your O.W.L.s by the end of your time here, but if you decide to continue after that, you may have to finish the classes externally and take the N.E.W.T.s at the ministry after you've already graduated."

"Yes, Ma'am, I will do my best!"

"Good, then I expect you to work hard, you hear me? I will have professors Vector and Babbling owl you some work to start working on over the summer later this week, I will talk to them tomorrow after all the students have left on the Express. You will likely need to stop by Diagon Alley for the text books as soon as possible."

Harry frowned. "I'm not sure if I can, my relatives never take me. I've always gone with the Weasley family in late August when I go spend the last few weeks of summer with them."

"Well, in that case..." Professor McGonagall grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment, quickly writing a short note. "You can owl order the books from Flourish and Blotts, just owl them a request for the mail-order catalog, but it is typically a few weeks before you get the books. In the meantime, take this note to Madame Pince, it will grant you permission to check out library books, there's a spell that will automatically return them here after three weeks, by which time your order from the bookstore should have arrived. Ask her for recommendations for preparing for third year Ancient Runes and Arithmancy as well as any extra reading for the courses that she thinks would be of use. Now, understand that this is a rare privilege, it's given less often that permission slips to check out a book from the restricted section. We don't even tell students that it can be done, I expect you to not abuse it, is that understood?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Professor McGonagall, I understand. Thank you."

 

#

An hour later Harry entered the Gryffindor's red and gold common room, arms laden down with several heavy textbooks on Ancient Runes and Arithmancy recommended by the librarian. "Harry, you're back! Madame Pomphrey let you out? And what's with all those books?" He was immediately assaulted with a stream of questions from his red-haired and tall best friend, Ronald Weasley.

"Those look like they're from the library," his other best friend, a bushy brown-haired girl named Hermione Granger commented, "How did you get those checked out? It's already closed for the summer."

Harry shrugged, piling his books onto a low coffee table and sitting down in a cushy red armchair next to them. "I am dropping Divination and adding Arithmancy and Runes," he said.

"What are you doing that for?" Ron asked, "They both require actual work!"

Hermione glared at Ron. "They are both very useful classes, Ronald!" she lectured then turned to Harry, her eyes softening. "Harry, I'm glad you're switching classes, it's better for your education! If you need help just ask, I'm more than willing to help, but not do your work for you! But how does it actually work, will you be joining the third years next year? That would make the most sense, but you wouldn't need all those books, which you still haven't explained how you checked out!"

Harry laughed. "McGonagall gave me a note, kind of like a pass to the restricted section. There's a charm on them that will automatically return them for me when they're due. The plan is for me to study all summer and take a placement test when we get back in September."

"That is logical," Hermione said. She nudged Ron's foot with hers.

"What?" the red-head complained.

"Aren't you going to say something? He's out best friend, you need to support him!"

"Yeah, yeah. Good luck, Harry, you can have the extra work! I'll stick to making stuff up for Trelawny, thanks, which you'd better still help me with! I'll run out of creative ways to die!"

Harry laughed. "Ok, I'll help. At least they won't be for me anymore, I've had enough of death predictions, thank you, especially now." The mood immediately dimmed, and the Golden Trio set there sadly, thinking about the gloomy future they now found themselves in.

#

The next day Harry waved good-bye to his friends at Platform Nine and Three Quarters before exiting through the barrier leading to the muggle side of Kings Cross Station, quickly finding his relatives; his extremely obese uncle was very easy to identify in every crowd.

"Let's go, boy, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to!" his uncle snapped." Harry followed along wordlessly, and stayed silent until the family arrived home and stepped into the home at Number Four Privet Drive. Vernon reached out to take Harry's truck from him and lock it away in the cupboard under the stairs like every summer, but for the first time Harry stopped him, refusing to let go of his belongings.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" the large man snarled, his face turning a brilliant lobster red. "I will not put up with your... freakishness.. under my roof!"

"And I won't do any magic, I promise," Harry said, ignoring the wince on his Uncle, Aunt, and cousin's faces at the forbidden word, "but I have to be able to study my textbooks over the summer to get my summer homework done."

"I don't care if you get your summer homework done or not, your trunk is going into that cupboard!"

"I don't think so, Uncle Vernon. If I don't get my homework done, I could get expelled for bad grades, the teachers are getting tired of people not doing their homework and they're really cracking down on us now," he said. Sure, he was lying, but his family would never find out, they'd have to talk to wizards or witches, and they would never dare to taint themselves with anything _freakish_ unless they had to.

"Then you can be expelled! Then I would never have to deal with your _kind_ ever again!"

"Oh, but you would, Uncle Vernon. Even if I'm expelled I'll still be able to make magic happen without my wand, just like I did when Aunt Marge was here two years ago. Training is the only thing that will stop that kind of thing from happening! And besides, then you'd have to deal with me all year, do you really want that? Wouldn't you rather continue having nine months of the year free from me and my magic?"

"He does have a point, Vernon, dear!" his Aunt Petunia spoke up, "I don't want him here more than he has to be, especially not all year!"

Vernon growled, his face darkening into a deep purple. "Fine, but no freakishness, you hear! Or you'll regret it! Nothing but your textbooks, and they are to stay in your room! And I'm not helping you get your trunk upstairs, you can do that on your own!"

Twenty minutes later Harry closed the door to his small bedroom, collapsing onto his bead in exhaustion. He brought his hands up, interlocking his fingers and resting them on his forehead, covering his lightning-bolt scar, caused by Voldemort when he was only fifteen months old. Slowly, a large grin erupted on his face. His plan had worked like a charm, if he did say so himself. Turns out he could have done well in Slytherin, after all!

 

<<<<>>>> 


	2. Concerning Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Letters from Ron and Harry cause him worry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is a bit of a filler chapter, need to get some background done before we can get to the real plot!

 

 

 

CHAPTER TWO

Concerning Letters

 

A few days after arriving at the Dursley home, Harry looked up from his Arithmancy reading, interrupted by the sound of something tapping on the glass of his bedroom window. He looked over to see his beloved snowy owl, Hedwig. He placed a bookmark in his textbook and put it aside, standing up from his bed and walking across the room to let Hedwig in.

"Hey, girl, have something for me?" he asked, reaching over and taking the package tied to her leg. She hooted and flew over to her cage to take a sip of water while Harry sat down at his rickety old desk and unwrapped the package, revealing his requested owl order catalog from Flourish and Blotts. "Thank, Hedwig," he said to her, opening the catalog. He quickly flipped to the Ancient Runes section first, looking for the books recommended by Madame Pince, the librarian, and Professor Babling, the Runes professor, adding the item numbers to the order form. He then turned to Arithmancy and did the same.

Before he closed the catalog, though, one of the books caught his eye. To be more exact, the title and caption following is what grabbed his attention. The book was called Arithmancy for Muggleborns, and underneath that, a line read 'For more books recommended to muggleborns, see the "For Muggleborns" category on page forty-seven.'

Harry frowned. Books for muggleborns? That was weird, he'd never heard of such a thing, and even hid textbooks didn't have any information specifically geared towards people raised in the muggle world. It sure would have been helpful, especially in his first year! Curious, Harry added that book to his order form before flipping to the designated page in the catalog and finding the right section. He was shocked to see titles such as _Emergency Services for Witches and Wizards While in the Muggle World,_ and _Magical Government for Dummies._ These _definitely_ appeared helpful! Harry skimmed trough the titles, trying to decide which titles would be best before coming to a decision. He had plenty of money, and they all looked so interesting and informative, with little to no overlap, that me might as well order them all. There was no such thing as too much knowledge, ad Harry was sick of not knowing things and Ron looking at hi like an idiot when his lack of knowledge about the basic magical world became apparent. He put the order form aide to send with Hedwig the next day before returning to his studies.

 

#

Arithmancy, he was finding, was very similar to muggle algebra, in a way. The words, or incantation, of a spell held a numerical value, as did the wand movements. The two sides of the equation had to be equal in order for a spell to be valid. Third year student's first term covered how to calculate the magical value, and then moved into learning how to calculate wand movements in the second term. The third term consisted of doing both sides of the equation and determining the validity of the given spell.

Harry didn't understand why it took an entire learn term to learn one half of an equation - he figured it out how to do it within half an hour, and was breezing through the assignments like a muggle high school senior doing homework for a first grader.Â  Then again, math had always been his best subject in muggle primary school. In kindergarten he'd been in a separate class than Dudley, and since it was his first year in school, the teacher wasn't predisposed to thinking he was a troublemaker and pathological liar. This didn't last long, of course, but by the time his false reputation spread, his teacher had already recognized his skills in math and tested him, placing him in a special mat class that let students move ahead of their peers at their own pace. And, because the program was academically based and not behavior based, the Dursleys had never succeeded in getting him removed from the program - they couldn't come up with a good excuse for holding back their ward, regardless of his supposed behavioral problems, and doing so without a valid reason would have just garnered unwanted attention. By the time he left the muggle school system for Hogwarts he'd been working on ninth grade math, so the Arithmancy work, which so far was easier than algebra since they were only doing half of an equation, was insanely easy. He had a feeling that he would easily be completed with at least some of the fourth year work by the end of the summer, maybe more, depending on how much time he ended up spending on Ancient Runes, his other summer homework, and reading the muggleborn books he'd just ordered from the bookstore.

#

Â Â Â Â  By the end of June, he'd long finished his third year course work for Arithmancy, and was beginning to work on the second term of third year Ancient Runes. He'd also been reading his muggleborn books; he was in the middle of the one about emergency services, and it was quite informative.

 

 

Even while in the muggle world, witches and wizards can find themselves in need of emergency medical care, or even the need for an auror, the wizarding version of a policeman. Because 9of this, spells have been developed to summon aid, and if they are used in the cawse of a true emergency, are not considered a violation of underage magic, or even the Statute of Secrecy as long as the spell is cast with reasonable levels of security. 

_The spell to summon healers from St. Mungos is "Sanctomonium," and the wand movement is a quick jab to the lower right. The spell to summan an auror from the Ministry of Magic is "policia," and is cast with a flick to the left._

His reading was interrupted by the arrival of Ron's owl, Pig.

#

Dear Harry,

I hope the Dursleys are treating you OK! Things here have been weird, Mum and Dad keep rushing off for "secret meetings" they won't tell us kids about, and now we're apparently moving somewhere else for the summer. They are worried that the Burrow is too well known and not safe.

I'll write you again when I know more, I don't even know where we're moving to yet!

 

-Ron

 

Harry frowned in concern. Moving away from the Burrow? To where? He loved the Weasleys dearly, and didn't want them to come to any harm, so he definitely wanted them to be safe, but moving sounded like a big deal, especially considering the family's financial situation. They had very little money, and he couldn't imagine them having enough money to buy a new house somewhere. Surely it would be cheaper to ward the Burrow than to pick up and move?

And secret meetings... That was just weird. Harry wasn't sure what to think about that, honestly. He grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill, jotting down a quick reply to his best male friend.

#

Ron,

I'm doing fine, they are leaving me alone to study, even! I told them that if I didn't get my homework done I'd be expelled, and then they would be stuck with me year round! They bought it, can you believe it?

Secret meetings? That's weird, you'll have to let me know if you find out more. And you're moving? Let me know where to so I don't 2worry, what with Voldemort being back and all.

Speaking of, I haven't heard of anything weird happening in the muggle world, or in the magical; I got a subscription to the Prophet. They seem to think I'm mad, based on some of the comments in random articles. Guess it's going to be like second year and last year before the first task all over again, everyone at Hogwarts will hate me. I just hope that this time, everyone figures out I'm innocent before people I love get hurt.

Write back soon!

Harry

 

He put the letter aside to mil with Pig after the tiny owl got some rest, still concerned. He hoped Ron would reply quickly, so that he could get some answers and ease some of his worry. Unfortunately, the very next day he got a letter from Hermione, and with it, came even more concern.

#

Dear Harry,

How are you? I hope you are doing well. You haven't sent me a letter asking me for help with Runes or Arithmancy, I have to say I'm surprised. Arithmancy, especially, is quite difficult, so I expected that you would need a lot of help. I hope the lack of letters doesn't mean you haven't been doing your work, procrastination right now would be a big mistake!

Unfortunately, I will not be going on vacation to Eastern Europe this summer like I hoped. I'm sure you will understand why. I've been moved somewhere safe, and Ron and his family is here with me. Sorry I can't tell you more, but the Headmaster has made it clear that we can't write anything important down because it could be intercepted. Stay safe!

Love,

Hermione

 

Now, he was _very_ confused. Ron an Hermione both moved somewhere else to keep them safe? And evidently, to the same place? Ron, he could see, in a way. He was from a well-known wizarding family, and people like the Malfoys would have no problems finding the Burrow if they wanted to. But Hermione? She lived in the muggle world with her parents, and he doubted anyone would be able to find her easily, especially if they'd taken a trip abroad like her family often did during school vacations.

He did take note of their worry that mail could be intercepted, but they'd written coded letters to Sirius Black, his escaped prisoner godfather, before, so he could understand the worry. He'd have to think of a way to code letters or some other way to talk to them freely, he wanted answers.

He reread the letter, this time paying attention to the parts _not_ worrying him, since that was pretty much all he'd paid attention to. He had to laugh as he read her comments on him not doing his work, not sure if he should be offended or not. He shrugged, figuring that all she had to base her judgments on was history, which was not a positive one, to say the least, and he knew she'd eventually see that he'd changed for herself. Actions speak louder than words, after all.

 

#

Hermione,

You will be happy to hear that I am, in fact, doing my homework! I love Arithmancy - it may be my new favorite class. It's even better than DADA was when we had Lupin in third year!

You are with Ron? I hope you guys are safe. It is very boring here, so I bet you re having a lot more fun than I am. If I didn't have all this studying to do I am sure I would be going crazy, from both boredom and worry. Our old friend Tom hasn't been seen lately, it seems, and that screams bad news. I am getting worried about him.

The Prophet is proving to be quite entertaining, though; apparently I am big headed, attention seeking, and a liar. Oh well, I don't really care about them. I just worry that no one will be prepared for what will happen when Tom shows up again, but with the way the Prophet is making me out to be, I don't think there's anything I can do about that right now.

I hope you find a way to tell me more about what's up with you and Ron, wherever you are.

Harry

 

<<<<>>>> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like the chapter! I may not be able to update in November, I am participating in NaNoWriMO, but I will do my best! It will be my goal to do both, but we'll see how it goes. I'm working two jobs and going to school full time, so I don't have a lot of free time.


	3. A Phone Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry finally gets to talk to a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and has a great new year! I hope you like the chapter, we're starting to break away from canon quite a bit now.

CHAPTER THREE  
A Phone Call

The month of July passed even more quickly than June, and before Harry knew it, his birthday arrived. As per tradition, he decided to stay up late on the thirtieth of July so that he could celebrate at the stroke of midnight. He had gone many years without any recognition of his birthday before he started school at Hogwarts; as a child, that one moment he claimed for himself while the house was asleep was all he got.

  
"Happy Birthday, Harry," he whispered to himself as he watched the clock on the nightstand switch from eleven fifty-nine to twelve. Soon after, as was his new tradition, several owls arrived at his bedroom window, delivering gifts from his friends. He smiled as he unwrapped them, caring more about the thought than the gift itself. After a childhood without presents, he would never take a gift for granted, no matter how silly or insignificant.

  
The letter that accompanied his gift from Hermione, however, just added to the worry that had been brewing in his head since the summer began. The letter still spoke of how his friends were together, but unable to tell him anything specific because Headmaster Dumbledore said letters weren't safe. He just couldn't figure out how they were communicating with the elderly man, if that was the case. Besides, he had deep respect for the Headmaster, but how did the man have any say over his correspondence with friends during the summer? He was certain the man didn't interfere with any other student's summer activities. And yes, it was true that Dumbledore had never truly treated Harry like any other student, and he understood why, but it was beginning to grate on his nerves a bit. Hadn't Harry made it clear that he didn't want to be anything other than Harry, and not the Boy-Who-Lived?

  
No, Harry had had enough! He quickly penned a letter to his bushy-haired friend, determined to find a way to talk to her without all of this security nonsense.

  
  
Dear Hermione,

Thank you for the card and gift for my birthday. I love the book on runes, it looks fascinating! I can't wait to read it.  
By the way, are you making plans to visit your folks soon? My family will be out of the house on August fourth for the entire day. If yo happen to be home then, I would love to talk to you! I can be reached at 216-555-4936, you know what to do with that! Make sure that you reach me between nine and five, and only on that day so that my beloved aunt and uncle don't find out!

 

Love,  
Harry

  
  
On August fourth, the Dursley home telephone rang out at exactly nine oh one in the morning. Harry jumped up from the couch in the sitting room, where he'd planned to stay all day reading, hoping that the phone would ring.  
"Hello?" he said, answering the phone.

  
"Harry! You are brilliant! I can't believe we didn't think to talk on the phone before! It's perfect, there is no way the Death Eaters will know how to listen in on our conversation, I bet none of them even know what a telephone is!" Hermione's voice gushed enthusiastically as soon as she recognized Harry's voice through the speaker.

  
The green-eyed boy laughed. "Why, thanks! We just have to be careful to plan our talks with the Dursleys' being out of the house. I'd use a pay phone but I don't have any muggle money."

  
"That shouldn't be a problem,, I'll just make the Order take me home to visit my parents on those days, it shouldn't be too hard to convince someone."

  
"The order? What is the order?" Harry asked, confused. He had never heard of any 'order' that Hermione would be a part of.

  
"It's this group the Headmaster started during the first war with You-Know-Who to fight against him and the Death Eaters. He restarted it at the beginning of the summer. It's the talk he set Padfoot to do at the ed of the school year in the hospital wing. They are the 'old crowd' he was talking about. Ron's family and I are currently staying at their headquarters. I can't tell you more than that, literally, the building is under the Fidelius Charm and the Headmaster is the secret keeper. Oh, but Padfoot is there! He is the only one Ron and I told about this phone call, he said to tell you hello, that he loves you, and that he will see you soon."

  
"OK, well tell him the same back for me, will you? So, what is the order doing, specifically?"

  
Hermione sighed. "Well, I know they have someone guarding something, but none of us students can figure out what. We were listening in on meetings, but the order members figured that out and started sealing the room. And they won't let us join the meetings, they keep insisting, Mrs. Weasley more so than the others, that we are children and shouldn't be told anything, that we're too young. It's rather frustrating, really."

  
"It sounds like it! Well, any word on what Voldemort is up to? Both the Daily Prophet and the muggle news have been quiet, nothing suspicious that would scream 'magical dark lord'. I'm surprised, to be honest, I thought there would be attacks left and right now that he's back."

  
"No word on that, either," Hermione sighed again. "We were able to gather that the order knows that You-Know-Who is focusing on recruitment and gaining strength right now. He wants to stay below the radar. If I were to hazard a guess, I think he wants to be stronger when he makes a proper come back, that way he will be even more threatening to the general population."

  
Harry hummed in agreement. "That makes a lot of sense, actually, I would probably do the same thing in his shoes."

  
"Same here. Now, how is Runes and Arithmancy going?" the teenage girl asked,changing the subject. She couldn't think of anything to add to the subject of the evil wizard who seemed bound and determined to murder her best friend, so she'd rather spend the time just talking to him instead of circling the drain over and over again on the same thing just stated in a different way.

  
"Ancient Runes is fascinating, but Arithmancy... it's fun! I think I told you that in my letters."

  
"Oh, right, you did. They are both quite challenging subjects, especially Arithmancy! I'm truly surprised that you find it fun, none of my classmates have ever said that."

  
Harry laughed in surprise. "Really? I find it quite easy, how is it hard? It's just like algebra!"

  
Hermione was silent for several long moments. "Easy? Arithmancy isn't easy it all, it's the hardest subject offered at Hogwarts! And since when do you know algebra? They don't teach algebra until secondary school in the muggle world."  
"I actually took algebra in primary school, Hermione. I'm actually really good at math, always have been, there just hasn't been a way to put it to use in the Wizarding World until I transfered into Arithmancy. Honestly, if I'd known anything about the subject back at the end of our second year I would have signed up for it instead of Divination to begin with."

  
"Just good at math? Harry, if you were doing algebra in primary... you must be..."

  
"A math prodigy? Yeah, I know. My teachers always said that it was such a shame that the only math prodigy my primary school had ever seen had to be such a miscreant," he said in a dry tone

.  
"They actually said that in front of you?" Hermione asked, shocked at the primary school teacher's audacity to speak negatively about a student, especially in front of the named student. "And there is no way I'd believe you were ever a miscreant. You may get in trouble at Hogwarts, but you've ever broke rules just to break them! Not an important one, anyways. It's always been for a good reason."

  
Harry sighed. "Primary school was hell, Hermione. The Dursleys had everyone convinced that Dudley as the angel and I was the pathological liar hellion they had taken in out of the kindness of their hearts after my no good, jobless, drunken father crashed his car, killing himself and his no-good wife," he explained. "The only reason they even believed I wasn't cheating in the math tests was because they put me in a room alone with just the teacher in an empty room to take the tests. And if the Dursleys had been able to keep me out of the advanced program I was in without drawing negative attention to themselves, they'd have done it without hesitation." He could practically hear Hermione's scowl over the telephone.

  
"I hate your relatives, Harry. If I could use magic on them... And I don't even like violence but they.. Ugh! Those people are horrible, they belong in prison for what they've done to you!"

  
"Maybe" Harry said awkwardly, and swiftly changed the subject. He didn't much like to talk about specific things the Dursleys did, even with his friends. "Just out of curiosity, who all is part of this order Dumbledore runs? Would I know any of them?"  
"Yes, actually, quite a few. The Headmaster, obviously, but he is never here for long. We only see him long enough for him to tell us no0t to write anything sensitive. Professor Snape is a member, as well." Harry groaned. "Harry, he is still a professor, and deserves your respect, even if you don't like him," Hermione lectured. "Professor Lupin is also a member, as well as Mr.and Mrs. Weasley, of course. And Sirius. It's actually his house that we are staying in."

  
"Really? I wish I was there, I would love to spend time with him!" Harry said enviously.

  
"The house is truly horrible, though, Harry. It's old and worn done and... honestly, it reminds me of a haunted house! And there's a portrait of Sirius's mother in the entry way, and the woman is positively foul! I can see why he ran away when he was about our age, she yells very insulting things at everyone, so you can't make any noise at all in the foyer so that you don't wake her up!"  
  
By the time the Dursleys arrived home that evening, Harry had long since hung up with his best friend, and returned to studying upstairs in his bedroom, his relatives unaware of his liberal use of the telephone. He had talked to Hermione for over and hour, and felt oddly refreshed. It had been the first time in his entire life that he'd been able to have a real-time conversation with a friend that didn't involve him being picked up to leave, the Dursleys glaring at the 'freaks' that dared to invade their home.  
When they had hung up the phone, Harry and Hermione had promised to keep in touch, with Harry planning to let her know if he ever knew the Dursley would be away with enough time in advance for her to make plans to go visit her parents at the same time.

  
Harry hoped that it would happen again soon. Most of the time the Dursleys hesitated to leave him alone in their house, worried that he'd destroy it or something while they were out with his 'freak' powers. However, with Harry spending most of the summer with his head buried in books, the Dursleys had been oddly granting him a little more freedom. They weren't forcing him to spend days outside in the heat doing chores, as they feared that if he didn't get his homework done they would be forced to have him home year round, and in constant danger of losing his control of his magic (which wasn't really a danger, but what they didn't know, couldn't hurt them!). Plus, with him quiet, they didn't worry too much about him destroying the house, since he never seemed to take his head out of his books, and they'd seen no sign of any magic. Personally, Harry thought the Dursleys were very naive and easy to manipulate, he could see a billion holes in the reasoning, but he was thankful all the same. It allowed him to change the environment around him at the Dursley home at Four Privet Drive, for the better for perhaps the first time in his entire life. He couldn't be more thankful for the slightest increase in freedom.

  
"Boy!" Uncle Vernon yelled as he waddled through the front door. "You better not have done anything weird to our house!" Harry walked out of his room and down the stairs reluctantly so that he wouldn't have to yell to be heard; Vernon hated that.  
"No, Uncle Vernon, I just worked om homework all day. I only left my room to use the facilities and eat lunch. OH, when I did I realized that someone must have left the phone off the hook this morning. I hung it up, but if anyone tried to call this morning they would only have gotten a busy signal."

  
"I bet it was you, using our phone, wasn't it?" he yelled, "We never gave you permission to use our phone!"

  
Harry rolled his eyes. "And who would I have called? My people don't use phones, remember? The phone probably just got bumped or something this morning when you all got ready to leave, it has happened before," he said, then turned around and walked right back up the stairs.

<<<<>>>>


End file.
